Contents.

CONTENTS .

LtADIRS S $ 3 Provincial Grand Lodge of Worcestershire 554 Inauguration of the Lodge of Harntonv ... eee Bro . the Right Hon . Lord Arthur Hill , M . P . Prov . G . M . County Down ( I . C . ) SSs French Freemasonry in England P 5 . 6

The Coming of Age of the Son of Bro . ] . Derby Allcroft , P . G . Treas JJJ Masonic Charity in West Lancashire 557 Proposed Colonial and Indian Exhibition £ 57 Masonic Ceremony in Victoria ( Australia ) 557 Freemasonry in Tasmania 557 CORRESPONDENCEA Stolen Certificate ... 559

Reviews ^ 9 Notes and Queries esq REPORTS OF MASONIC MEETINGSCraft Masonry J 60 Instruction efm

Royal Arch—Instruction c 6 r Mark Masonry 5 61 New Zealand g 6 r Masonic Presentation ..,, 561 The Craft Abroad $ 62 Theatres 562 Masonic and General Tidings 563 Lodge Meetings for Next Week 564

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THERE is a strong feeling among English Craftsmen—and , indeed , generally among the brethren of the three jurisdictions in the United Kingdom and throughout the Colonies and Dependencies of the British Crown—that the Jubilee year of her MAJESTY ' S reign should not be allowed to pass unrecorded in the annals of Freemasonry , but that steps should be taken to

perpetuate in some suitable manner the memory of one who , by her example as a woman and her conduct as a Sovereign , has done so much to promote the happiness and well-being of all her subjects . This feeling , which is natural enough among the Q UE EN ' S lieges of every nationality , is necessarily intensified among the members of the Masonic Brotherhood by the fact of

her MAJESTY being the head of a family which has maintained an almost unbroken association with our Society for close on 150 years . It was in November , 1737 , that the Q UEEN ' S great-grandfather , FREDERICK , Prince of WALES , was initiated at an especial lodge at Kew , and in June , 18 S 7 , she will complete the 50 th year of her reign . In the interval every

generation of the Royal Family has been represented in the Craft . GEORGE III . was not himself a Mason ; but three of his brothers were—the Dukes of YORK , GLOUCESTER , and CUMBERLAND—the memory of the first being perpetuated by the Prussian Grand Lodge , the Royal York of Friendship , while the last-named was Grand Master of England from 17 S 2 till his death

in 1790 . The sons of GEORGE III . who were Masons were GEORGE , Prince of WALES , afterwards GEORGE IV ., who was elected Grand Master in succession to his uncle the Duke of C UMBERLAND in 1790 , and , on resigning that office on becoming Regent of the Kingdom , accepted , and retained till his death in 1 S 30 , the title of Grand Patron j the Duke of YORK ; the Duke

of CLARENCE , afterwards WILLIAM IV ., and Grand Patron , 1830-37 ; the Duke of KENT , the QUEEN ' father , the last Grand Master of the " Ancient" Grand Lodge ; the Duke of CUMBERLAND , afterwards King and Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Hanover ; and the Duke of SUSSEX , last Grand Master of the " Modern " Masons , and first Grand

Master of United Grand Lodge—iS 13-43 . The next generation was represented by the late GEORGE V ., King of Hanover , first cousin of the QUEEN ; while three out of four of the Q UEEN ' sons , namely , the Prince of WALES , the Duke of CONNAUGHT , and the late Duke of ALBANY , as as well as her grandson Prince ALBERT VICTOR cf WALES , have been

wearers of the lambskin , the Prince of WALES being not only Grand Master of England , but likewise Patron of the Grand Lodges of Ireland and Scotland . There is , indeed , no other family , whether royal , noble , or untitled , which has been more regularly and consistently associated with our Order than that of which the OUEEN is the present head ; nor is there one

which has done more to maintain its dignity , extend its principles of loyalty and Charity , and enlarge its peaceful and beneficent sphere of usefulness . Moreover , her M UESTY , though precluded by her sex from being a member , is both a regular and generous supporter of all our Institutions , being the Chief Patron of the Girls' School , Grand Patron of the Boys' School , and

a Vice-Patron of the Benevolent Institution . This series of facts will clearly explain why English Freemasons , over and above those feelings of loyalty and devotion to the Crown which they share in common with the other classes of their fellow subjects , are looking forward so hopefully to the time when the completion by her MAJESTY of a 50 years' sovereignty over

the British Empire will be publicly celebrated , and why they are so desirous that the Masonic recognition of that auspicious event should be marked by some special and appropriate form of commemoration , which will serve to perpetuate as well the long-enduring association of her family with our Order of Freemasons as the love and respect felt towards her by her Masonic lieges .

_ .. # 1 ! BUT while the feeling which prompts this desire on the part of the brethren is natural enough , it is not so easy to find a suitable mode of giving effect to it , which shall at the same time commend 'itself to the views of the

general body of the Craft . Some may think the feeling would be satisfied if an especial meeting of Grand Lodge were to be held for the purpose of voting an address of congratulation to the Q UEEN , to be followed by the time-honoured banquet , at which the rites of hospitality would be observed religiousl y and in accordance with the ancient usages of the Society . To

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this we have no further objection to offer than that in any circumstances , and whatever course may be adopted , an address of congratulation on the part of United Grand Lodge will constitute a necessary part of the proceedings . There is no other way of which we have any knowledge , for a body corporate to give expression to its feelings or opinions on any subject

than by the medium of an address presented on its behalf and under its seal by its chosen representatives , while as regards the banquet , there is nothing exceptional about that . The QUEEN is toasted first at all our festive meetings , nor do we desire for one moment that the unacfc'ftied eloquence of our right loyal and right worshipful brothers in the chair should

be subjected to a severer or more embarrassing ordeal than usual : their responsibilities in after-dinner speech-making are serious enough already . Then it has been proposed that Jubilee scholarships might be founded at our Schools , or donations presented by or on behalf of the Fraternity to this or that public Institution of a specially and generally useful character , as was

done when the Prince of WALES returned from his visit to India , and the sum of . £ 4000 was presented by Grand Lodge lo the Royal National Lifeboat Institution for the building and endowment in perpetuity of two Lifeboats . For ourselves , who have given the subject our most careful consideration , our opinion is that no better way could be found of

commemorating the Jubilee year of our beloved Q UEEN ' S reign than by raising a Queen Victoria Jubilee Presentation Fund and distributing its proceeds among our several Masonic Institutions in such a manner as to secure the memory in perpetuity of her beneficent rule over the British Empire ; of the love and sympathy she has alwavs exhibited towards all classes and

conditions of her people , but especially towards those who have stood most in need of the love and sympathy of a kind and generous-hearted woman ; of the respect and affection which at all times , both in the days of her prosperity and in the days of her affliction , she has received from all her subjects ; and lastly , but not least , of the intimate and unbroken association of her family

through six successive generations with the Craft of Freemasonry , and the generous personal support she has extended towards all our Charities . We say there is no better scheme than this , certainly not among the many we have heard suggested , for preserving through all time the memory of our Sovereign Lad )' , Queen VICTORIA , her many virtues as a woman , her

great qualities as a ruler , her generous support of whatever is high and noble and ennobling , her kindly sympathy with all in sorrow and affliction . All who take part in carrying it to a successful issue will have the satisfaction of knowing that in what they do they are helping to establish a fund which will permanently provide the means of alleviating the distresses of

their poorer brethren , their widows , and the children of deceased and indigent brethren . It is a scheme to the furtherance of wliich all , from Grand Lodge in its corporate capacity and wilh all the wealth of its resources , down to

the newest and humblest member , may lend a helping hand , and there is none who , from her known readiness to alleviate distress of all kinds and at all times , will more sincerely rejoice in its success than the Lady whose reign and virtues it is intended to commemorate .

# * # HAVING given a general idea of the Jubilee Fund and the object for which it is proposed to be raised , we proceed to satisfy the very natural curiosity of our readers as to the manner in which the Fund should be applied . Nothing can possibly be simpler . The right of perpetual presentation to either of our

Schools can be secured on payment down in one sum ol One thousand guineas ( £ 1050 ) , and a similar right of presentation to either of the Funds—Male or Female—of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution can be secured by paying over to the Treasurer such a sum of money as , when invested in Government securities , will produce annually an amount of

interest equal to the amount of the annuity prescribed . Thus the sum which would have to be raised in order to secure to the QUEEN during her lifetime , and at her death to her successors on the throne or the GRAND MASTER of United Grand Lodge for the time being , the right of presentation of one Girl to the Girls' School , one Boy to the Boys' School , and one Male Annuitant

and one Female Annuitant to the Benevolent Institution would be about £ 45 ( 10 , namely : —Girls' School , Queen Victoria Jubilee Perpetual Presentation , ^ 1050 ; Boys' School , ditto ditto , ^ 1050 ; Benevolent Institution , ditto ditto , Male and Female Fund , such a sum of money as would purchase enough Government 3 per Cent . Stock (^ 2400 ) to yield annually dividends

amounting to £ 72 , viz ., for one Male Annuity £ 40 , and for one Female Annuity , £ 32 . Thus to secure these several rights of perpetual presentation would require that a Fund should be raised amounting , as we have said , and

irrespective of any small costs incurred in raising it , to about £ 4500 , or only a few hundreds more than United Grand Lodge alone voted to the Lifeboat Institution to build and endow two lifeboats in commemoration of the safe return from India of H . R . H . the Prince of Wales , M . W . G . Master . And